Music-desk for pianos.



PATENTED NOV. 10, 1903.

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R. s. BOWEN. MUSIC DESK FOR PIANOS.

APYLIOATION FILED FEB 6 1903 10 MODEL.

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No. 743,682. Patented November 10, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT S. BOWEN, OF NEWTONVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO OHIOKERING & SONS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MUSIC-DESK FOR PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,682, dated November 10, 1903. Application filed February 6, 1903. Serial No. 142,142. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: as shown, in order the better to hold said 50 Be it known that I, ROBERT S. BOWEN, a lower edges from slipping. citizen of the United States, residing at New- The desk 4 is connected with the end pieces tonville, in the county of Middlesex, State of 3 by links 5, one of the latter being employed 5 Massachusetts, have invented a certain new in connection with each end of the desk.

and useful Improvement in Music-Desks for -The said links ordinarilyare termed props. 55 Pianos, of which the following is a specifica- Each thereof is connected pivotally at one tion, reference being had therein to the acextremity thereof with the edge of the correcompanying drawings. sponding end of the desk a, as at 6, the point IO My invention has relation to music-desks of pivotal connection being located intermeof the class which are used in connection with diate the width of the desk, somewhat near to pianos of the horizontal type; and it conthe edge of the desk which is at the rear when sists in a novel and improved manner and the desk is in its lowered and closed position. means of mounting and arranging a music- (Shown in Fig. 1.) Each prop 5 is also con- I5 desk so as to permit and facilitate the raisnected pivotally at a short distance from its ing of the said desk from its closed position opposite extremity, as at '7, with the adjacent 65 to its position foruse and thelowering thereof end piece 3, a short portion 51 of the prop from the latter position to the former and also extending beyond the pivot. A slot 52 (shown insure that the desk shall remain securely in by dotted lines in Fig. 2) is formed in the adits position for use after being raised into jacent portion of the back rail 2, and within such position. this slot the tail portion 51 of the prop works 70 I have illustrated the invention in the best in the movements of the prop. In the presform in which the same has thus far been emout embodiment of the invention the pivot at bodied by me in the accompanying drawings, 6 is constituted of an ordinary wood-screw in Whichpassing inwardly through a hole in the prop Figure lis a view showing in vertical transand entering the lateral edge or end of the 75 verse section portion of a piano having the desk, the prop lying fiatwise alongside such said embodiment of the invention applied edge and the broad head of the screw serving thereto, the desk being in its lowered and to retain the prop in its connection with the closed position. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but desk. The pivot at7 is constituted of a screw with the desk in its raised position in readipassing outwardly through a hole in the prop 8o ness for use. Fig. 3 is a partial plan with the into the end piece 3. In order that it may desk in lowered and closed position, as in answer the purposes of a stop, the screw 7 is Fig. 1. formed with a cylindrical head, which is The drawings show only the music-desk, shown best in Fig. 3. This cylindrical head the features in which the invention more imis caused to projectinwardly beyond the plane 8 mediately resides, and so much of the frame of the inner surface of the prop across the on which such desk is mounted in a piano as path of movement of a shoulder or engaging is requisite for a clear understanding of the portion ll, with which the desk is formed or relations and working of the invention. provided adjacent its rearv edge. In the hori- The front rail of the desk-supporting frame zontal and closed position of the desk the prop is shown at 1, the back rail at 2, and one of lies at the end of the desk in the narrow slit the end pieces with which the said rails are between the said end and the adjacent end connected is shown at 3. The desk is shown piece 3. In this position the lower edge of at 4:. The upper surface of the front rail the prop rests upon and is supported byapin serves as a support for the lower edges of 31 or other projection or shoulder extending 5 music-sheets resting against the desk 4 in its inwardly from the end piece 3, while the said raised position (shown in Fig. 2) and prefershoulder or engaging portion 41 of the desk ably is rearwardly inclined and corrugated, 4 extends beneath the stop 7 and is caused to bear upwardly against the under surface thereof by the preponderance of weight in advance of the points 6 6, at which the desk is hung to the outer ends of the props 5 5. The pin 31 is located at proper height relative to the upper surface of front rail 1 to sustain the prop in position to support the desk at a slight distance above the said upper surface, while the stop '7 limits the turning movement of the desk upon the pivot 6, so that the desk is prevented from making contact with said surface to mar the finish of the same. At its inner side the end piece 3 is provided with a ledge 32, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3,) and the end of the desk near its rear edge is formed or provided with a shoulder 42 to rest upon the said ledge. Starting with the desk in its horizontal and closed position, when the forward edge of the desk is lifted the stop 7 holds the rear edge thereof from rising. The desk swings upward around stop 7 as a pivotal center, carrying prop 5 upward until the rising movement of the latter is arrested by contact of its tail portion 51 with the stop-shoulder 53, adjacent or constituted by the inner end of the ledge 32. Preferably the upper surface of ledge 32 has a curvature which renders said surface concentric with the pivot 6 in this position of the desk and prop. Thereafter as power continues to be applied, tending to carry the raised edge of the desk rearward, the desk swivels upon the pivot 6, connecting it with the prop 5, the shoulder 42 of the desk sliding forwardly along ledge 32 until the lowered rear edge of the desk brings tip-against the stop-shoulder at 43 at or adjacentthe rear edge of the front rail 1. This arrests the desk in its position for use. The engagement of the tail portion 51 of the prop with the rearstop-shoulder 53 prevents the desk from being lifted, so as to disengageits lower edge from the front of stop-shoulder 43, which would leave the desk free to overturn rearwardly.

The stop 7 and the'stop-shoulder at 41 on the rear edge of the disk, engaging with the under surface of the said stop 7 in the lowered position of the desk, serve to prevent the rear edge of the desk from rising and thereby being carried into contact with the adjacent portion of the back rail 2 in beginning to raise the desk by power applied at its front edge. For example, in the absence of such stop devices if lifting power were applied at one end of the desk only the tend- 1 ency to twist the desk would cause this engagement. The said stop devices are so located as to prevent the upper angle of the rear edge of the desk from striking against the back rail as the desk turns in being raised. Should the said rearedge of the desk engage with the back rail as the upward movement of the desk occurs the point of contact would become a fulcrum for the desk and continued movement around such fulcrum would result in the application of strain to the pivots 6 and l. The stop devices in question prevent twisting and cramping of the desk in being raised.

What I claim is- 1. In combination, the frame having the supporting-ledge, the prop pivotally connected at or adjacent its one end with said frame, and the desk having the other end of said prop pivotally connected therewith at an intermediate point in the width of the desk, and having at its rear edge a surface or projection engaging with said ledge to sustain the desk vertically in the raised position of the desk, substantially as described.

2. In combination, the frame, the prop pivotally connected at or adjacent its one end with the said frame, the desk having the other end of said prop pivotally connected therewith at an intermediate point in the.

width of the desk, the said frame having a stop to limit the rising movement of the prop and a support engaged by the lowered rear edge of the desk in the upturned position of said desk and serving to sustain the desk verticallyinits position for use, substantially as described.

3. In combination, the frame, the prop pivotally connected at or adjacent its one end with the said frame, the desk having the other end of said prop pivotally connected therewith at an intermediate point in the width of the desk, the said frame having a stop to limit the rising movement of the prop, a support engaged by the lowered rear edge of the desk in the upturned position of said desk, and serving to sustain the desk vertically in its position for use, and a stop engaging with said rear edge to limit the movement of the desk in being raised for use.

4. In combination, the frame having the supporting-ledge, the prop pivotally connected at or adjacent its one end with said frame, the desk having the other end of said prop pivotally connected therewith at an intermediate point in the width of the desk, and having at such rear edge a surface or projection engaging with said ledge to sustain the desk vertically in the raised portion of the desk, and a stop by which the rising of the rear edge of the desk in the closed position of the latter is prevented, substantiallyas described.

5. In combination, the frame, the prop piv otally connected at or adjacent its one end with said frame, and the desk having pivotally connected therewith at an intermediate point in its width the otherend of said prop, the said frame having a stop to limit the rising movement of the prop, the ledge receiving the lowered rear edge of the desk in the upturned position of said desk and serving to sustain the desk vertically in its position for use, and a stop engaging with the said rear edge to limit the movement of the desk in being raised for use, substantially as described.

. desk, a support 6. In combination, the frame having the front rail, the prop by which the desk is supported in its upraised position for use, the on said frame for said prop in its lowered position, and a stop for the rear edge of the desk in its horizontal position, the said support and stop serving to support the desk in the horizontal position of the movable parts above and out of contact with said front rail, substantially as described.

7. In combination, the frame having the back rail, the prop, the desk, and a stop adjacent said back rail and engaging with the rear edge of the desk in the closed position of the latter to prevent said edge from moving into engagement with said back rail as the desk is raised, substantially as described.

, limit the forward movement of the rear edge of the desk, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT S. BOWEN. Witnesses:

CHAs. F. RANDALL, WILLIAM A. COPELAND. 

